Like House

Like House

If you knew how to properly grow and care for Cattleya Orchids how much more beautiful could you make your home. Catteya Orchids are not just pleasing to the eye some also have wonderful fragrances. Many people believe that orchids are very difficult to grow, but this is pretty much a myth. There are some that can be easily grown in your home with a minimal amount of effort. The Cattleya orchid is one such orchid. With a little knowledge about how to care for Cattleya orchids almost anyone can beautify their surroundings.

Caring for Cattleya orchids properly requires attention to the amount of light, the temperature of the room, the amount of water and humidity they get, the amount of plant food, and the soil or potting conditions. Listed below, are some guideline for each of the above.

Light

For healthy growth and flower production there must be sufficient light. Indoors try to place the plant where it will get several hours of either early morning sun or late evening sun and light from outside all day. Never place the plant in a window that the plant will get direct mid day sun as it will burn the plant. You can also use florescent lights to provide enough light if needed say for instance if you have your plant on an inside wall or corner of your house or in an interior room. A nice florescent fixture with four 40 watt bulbs hung several feet over the plant will work. Leave the light on for the same amount of time it is light outside.

Temperature To stimulate growth and flowering a mature plant needs a 15 degree swing in temperature between night and day. In many places you can just sit the plant in a window sill to meet this fluctuation. During the day it is usually warmer on the sill than the rest of the house and cooler than the rest of the house at night. Some places you may need to sit the plant outside at night to get the right fluctuation, As long as the temperatures are within a range of 60 F to 85 F the plant will continue to grow, but for flowering you will need some fluctuation. With high enough humidity and air movement Cattleya orchids can withstand temperatures in the high 90's.

Water and Humidity

Water and humidity go hand in hand to determine how often you need to water your orchid. Cattleyas need at least 50% humidity, but the more the better during growing season. You can establish this in most homes by using a humidity tray. Basically it is a plastic tray you sit under the pot with water in it and as it evaporates it increases the humidity above the tray. You will need to watch the humidity in your home during periods when you run your heater or air conditioner for long periods. Depending on what type of heating and cooling you have it can suck the humidity out of your house. If this is the case you may need a humidifier in the room with your orchids. To determine wither to water your orchids you will need to keep a good eye on the pseudo bulbs. These are the water organs of the Cattleya orchid. When they start to dry out they will show signs of shriveling and when this starts occurring, water the plant thoroughly until the bulbs fill with water. Cattleya orchids must dry out each time before watering for the plant to remain healthy.

Feeding Your Orchid

Because most potting mix has very little or no plan nutrients it is important to fertilize the Cattleya orchid at every watering. Use a balanced fertilizer of 10-10-10 and dilute it to one quarter strength. Use the dilution to water the plant with at each watering in the growing season. When the plant is resting only fertilize every other watering.

Potting or Re-potting

Potting should only be done if the plant has become too large for the current pot or if the potting media has begun to decompose. Use a medium potting mix and a pot large enough for a couple of years growth. This must be done to allow proper aeration or the roots to keep them from rotting.